Russian translations, just to have fun, covers added

[Lefdmae Deemalr Effaeldm]

Haven't found anything on them here. Quite probably not a single person survived to make it to the Watch after them, with me as the single exception. Or the memories are too horrid for those present here.

Anyway, there was a lot of things there, but I'd like to just tell you a few most impressive.

Saltheart Foamfollower turned into something like "Heartfoamy-sea-saltcraving seatraveller", though it feels even worse in Russian and barely resembles something like words.

Also. in Russian the word "despised" in the meaning of the one despised, not the past tense, is somewhat rare in form, and some people get confused.

So, apparently that same edition had two variants of the title - "Lord Foul's Curse" and... "Lord Foul the Despised". Though, luckily, the atrocity was probably not on the cover, at least I haven't seen it.

Oh, and on that this wasn't finished. There's a different translation, which seems better on an inattentive look, but its most horrible feature is that the translator felt free to delete some parts, most likely the ones he couldn't understand, because this happened often, and also to "slightly" change the text. I can place here some samples, but that's going to take some time, got to post large and exact pieces.

Though I have something very short to post, and without looking it up, I'm not going to forget this easily. It's how "Foul's Creche" was translated. It turned into "Foul's Nursery".

[Avatar]

It's how "Foul's Creche" was translated. It turned into "Foul's Nursery".

Hahaha, I often made that association myself. A creche is a nursery...a place where very young children are taken care of. Funny as it is, it's perfectly accurate.

We do have a member who lives in Russia, but he's not Russian...he probably read the English versions. He spends most of his time in the Close extolling the virtues of Orthodoxy though. (You here Rusmeister? )

--A

[Frostheart Grueburn]

Saltheart Foamfollower turned into something like "Heartfoamy-sea-saltcraving seatraveller", though it feels even worse in Russian and barely resembles something like words.

It's how "Foul's Creche" was translated. It turned into "Foul's Nursery".

*triple snerk* XD The latter gives me the mental image of a Nightmare Before Christmas -themed nursery where Dark Lords and Ladies bring their wee little evil offsprings for daycare.

I read on Wikipedia that there's a completely botched-up Finnish translation of Lord Foul's Bane out there. Makes me want to slink into the library to find out how unwittingly ludicrous it is. Out of curiosity, I googled for a review and discovered some names/terminology:

Hurtloam -- "vammaliete" which is like "disability slime"
Lord Foul is "Vallasherra Falski"; falski is a rather low-grade slang word meaning "false" or "artificial". Uh...Mighty Lord Artificial?

Wonder how the translator messed up Saltheart's name...

(Also, please do post more. These are hilarious )

[Lefdmae Deemalr Effaeldm]

Here,



First 6 - 1st&2nd Chrons, next 3 - 1st Chrons, another edition, then one more LFB, didn't go any further. After that - the Gap cycle and the Mirror of her Dreams.

Doesn't even look too bad, compared to the translation, though TC's swordies and the dragon are... Oh, and the bats. And that dark castle. And the crystal-looking thingy with a dragon's head inside... Now am I going to stop? At least it looks like they've flipped through a few pages of the books

[Frostheart Grueburn]

I had to google for bigger versions, as my eyesight isn't the best out there, but it's like the artist slapped something completely random on each cover. XD Обладатель Белого Золота, WHAT. I don't remember a spot when the First of the Search turned male and he/she trampled through woods with random archers. Also Первое Дерево, are those Brathairealm soldiers?

I furthermore must've entirely missed the famed dragon in Illearth War.

This looks a tad more authentic, even if Drool Rockworm became a raving Gollum. XD

EDIT: Forgot; thanks for posting these, always amusing to see wtf cover art. XD The English version of White Gold Wielder's cover isn't stellarly better in that sense; I keep wondering why Honniscrave is naked and whether Linden's expression is explainable exactly because of that.

[Lefdmae Deemalr Effaeldm]

Fixed the previous post a little. And I was also really impressed by the fact I managed to overlook a dragon, as well as the fact LF apparently had an actual castle - and a few other minor issues.

And I'm afraid, though the First changing her gender seems more probable to me, that it's TC carrying a sword at all times - something like "one more fantasy main hero, I'll draw a large sword, they never run around without them"

[Frostheart Grueburn]

And I'm afraid, though the First changing her gender seems more probable to me, that it's TC carrying a sword at all times - something like "one more fantasy main hero, I'll draw a large sword, they never run around without them"

But he looks Giant-sized...oh, I get it. He got hit by an Engorgement Charm by a bunch of skiving pranksters from Hogwarts and just pinched the First's armor while she was having some fun with Pitchwife in Andelain. That would explain it.

(Still sniggering at the bats.)

[Frostheart Grueburn]

Sorry to spam, but this just reminded me of the Czech version covers I accidentally stumbled upon a while back.

The Wounded Land: comes now with panthers and a cameo from Conan the Barbarian.

The One Tree: A surprise skeleton army!

White Gold Wielder ... I don't know any more. A queue of lords emerging from a giant cookie jar?

More here.

[Avatar]

Don't worry, it's not spam.

Nice to see those...we have a book cover gallery somewhere.

At least the second version of LFB is fairly accurate to the story. The swords in the first set?

The Gap one's are pretty good. Interestingly, the cover on the 4th Gap book above is the same image as on my copy of Forbidden Knowledge, (Book 2.)

--A

[Lefdmae Deemalr Effaeldm]

Right, it isn't. And I've seen that gallery, it was on the www.keviswatch.com site, or did it move somewhere here?

Are you sure you don't mean the third? Knights in metal armor are on the background of the second, and the lord's(?) clothes were supposed be blue, though that's not that much of a problem.

And I can easily believe not only that one, but also most, or all of the covers were from somewhere, that explains well why they're so accurate.

About the "Giant" - even though they're really present in the story the cover was attached to, something makes me suspect that one has more to do with some artist's feeling of perspective.

[jonnyredleader]

My girlfriend can speak and write Russian fluently if there's anything you need translating

[Lefdmae Deemalr Effaeldm]

If you mean the parts of back translation here - it's just for fun and to show what the Russian translation are like.

As for the amount presented here - it's more because I'm not much enjoying the idea of getting back into that one to look for samples, than any back translation problems. I'll try to add more, perhaps later, when in some mood lighter to that. Or did you mean something else?

And thank you for the proposition anyway.

[jonnyredleader]

No I was just offering if you needed any help with that

[Lefdmae Deemalr Effaeldm]

Thank you again then)

[Frostheart Grueburn]

Right, it isn't. And I've seen that gallery, it was on the www.keviswatch.com site, or did it move somewhere here?

About the "Giant" - even though they're really present in the story the cover was attached to, something makes me suspect that one has more to do with some artist's feeling of perspective.

Yeah, think it was...too bad the site went down, I was halfway through perusing it for references, and one night it simply went *poof*.

It's just that the archers in the foreground appear so small compared to the giantized Covenant/gender-bent First...ah well. But WHAT, simply WHAT in all the seven hells is happening on the yellow cover of Сила, которая защищает?? Do my poor eyes deceive me, or is there a fair maiden in white surrounded by knights and...an elf, or a random bishounen in the left? I really must've been reading the series with my eyes closed, what with having missed so many characters...and Lord Foul's bats.

[Lefdmae Deemalr Effaeldm]

kevinswatch (Jay) said the cover gallery will appear somewhere on the forum sooner or later.

But WHAT, simply WHAT in all the seven hells

Someone already in the Land spiritually?

And that yellow cover is perhaps the #1 abomination - hard to say what it has to do with the book at all.

Ouch. Remembered about the pictures inside the books, haven't seen them on the internet. If they aren't - I'll scan, they're something, and quite relevant to this.

Back to the cover - that should be either Lena with TC and someone else, perhaps after the defense of Mithil Stonedown, or Elena, though less likely. However, I'd rather guess whoever decided on the cover saw female names in the text and thought that one will do.

And the bats are quite a thing, but I was much more "impressed" with how Lord Foul is portrayed - that may seem more of a detail, but how LF values perfection and is, in a way, perfect himself is very important to the whole story and the ideas in it. Perhaps whoever was in charge of the Russian editions was fed up with the language and phrasing Lord Foul likes to use - guess it was fun to have that for translation

And have you seen this one on the sites with the covers - someone named Stan_1972 posted this particularly fine sample. "This granite had the slight but necessary flexibility of bone." (original) - translated back from Russian "This granite was permeated with thin bone gaskets, painted to look like rock."

[Frostheart Grueburn]

But WHAT, simply WHAT in all the seven hells

Someone already in the Land spiritually?

Well...doesn't really help that George R. R. Martin also seems quite fond of this expression. XD So I guess my current swearword-hoard is deposited upon that tract of wasteland wherever the arches of time of the Land and Westeros merge.

Remembered about the pictures inside the books, haven't seen them on the internet. If they aren't - I'll scan, they're something, and quite relevant to this.

They have illustrations? Please do scan them; this ought to be hilarious. I'm especially interested in any 2nd chrons pictures. XD

And have you seen this one on the sites with the covers - someone named Stan_1972 posted this particularly fine sample. "This granite had the slight but necessary flexibility of bone." (original) - translated back from Russian "This granite was permeated with thin bone gaskets, painted to look like rock."

Regrettably I don't speak Russian--but these 'translations'--more akin to mutilations of prose--are just getting better and better. I love how the previous doesn't make any sense whatsoever. XP Way to discourage potential readers to continue.

[Lefdmae Deemalr Effaeldm]

Finally remembered about this. o_O That was even before I left for half a year.

Alas, as far as I can remember, there are illustrations only for the 1st Chrons. I'll scan and post them now, how do you think, better one at a time or all at once? I'll start with the first one anyway.

[Frostheart Grueburn]

It's as if an emaciated devil had suddenly burrowed his way into the Land and glued a random cobra head to the other end of a fence post... I'm assuming that's Drool. Maybe we should have a design your own staff of law contest someday in the bad illustration thread. XD This is certainly inspiring.

Please post more! And perhaps one at a time, so it's like a horrible yule calendar but during midsummer.

Do those perchance contain a botched-up Foamfollower anywhere?

[I'm Murrin]

(Looking at the russian covers up top...)

Ah, the age old tradition of just throwing any old art you own the rights to on the cover regardless of content. The Germans are pretty fond of that, I hear. There's one company that'll put a spaceship on every book. Even fantasy.